Useful tools and gadgets for stargazing

[johncbradley1]

Hello stargazers!

Please share your favourite tools or gadgets that you use when stargazing

Mine has got to be an iPhone application called 'Star Walk'

It has helped me out a lot; locating planets, telling me what stars I'm looking at, showing constellations and it is great for planning nights out with telescope as it shows where ANY object (planets, stars, DSO's, satellites) will be at any specific time. It is full of information and I recommend it to anyone with an iPhone

[ronin]

Telescope come pretty high up my list.

[glowjet]

Binoculars, and a broom, its about the only thing you can grab and go with between the breaks in this continuing horrible cloudy weather, I remember when my Son was a lot younger than he is now, week upon week of frosty clear nights at this time of year, I am sure others will remember it too

[rory]

stellarium. use it until im better with star atlases.

[Gunnar]

Astro kit, sky sfari, and starwalk.

[che guevara]

WD40

[blinky1983]

A telescope and an ep make very useful equipment for stargazing

[Rapallokid]

I thought some fellow members might be interested in this.

During the summer we go camping quite a lot and something that is usefull in the darker hours when nature calls are head torches. I wonderd how easy it would be to attach some kind of red filter to one, so that when i was out with the scope I would be able to use a red light whilst still having both of my hands free.

I went to buy a headtorch yesterday and was pleased to find that Go Outdoors already sell them with a red filter. At £4.99 they are a bargain, they even come with 2 disk batteries similiar to the ones in red spot finders.

The light that is given off is a little rose, but i found it quite usefull. you can also flip up the red filter to enable you to use a normal light when setting up or breaking down.

[swamp thing]

I guess the most useful tool would be the Allen key that fits my secondary,s collimation bolts.

A flask would be my top gadget.cannot be without a warm drink when winter observing or a cold one in summer.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[cabby]

A cloud disperser

[onesmallstep]

A bottle opener and a pack of stubbies

[johncbradley1]

And a BBQ while we're at it

[onesmallstep]

And a BBQ while we're at it

Shouldn't that be Star-B-Q? You could have one at the next autumn equinosh!

[Moonshane]

apart from my scope the following are always used:

Telrad / Red dot finder

Right angle finder

Star map / red torch

Observing seat

Warm clothing!

[cantab]

A mown lawn. Now I can lie down when I'm pointing the bins near the zenith.